The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1887-11-24
wANTED--A COMPETING LINE OF
RAILROAD.

thing without speaking out in meet
ing" is not only behind the times, but
derelict in duty. Therefore the SEN
T1MEL this morning wants to talk
railroad not only to Winston, but to
Statesville, Salisbury, Charlotte, Roa-
noke City, Va, and all the interven-
ing towns and counties.
1t is well known all over North
Carolina that the Richmond & Dan
vile Railroad Company are the rulers
in the Associated Railways of the
Carolinas and Virginia, they make
the freight rates, rates are pooled, and
the result is that this company con-
trolls almost every road in the State,
in fact it comes as near controlling the
state of North Carolina as any cor
poration ever has, and its power is
growing. Not long since, the railroad
from Goldsboro to Morehead City, in
which the State has a two-thirds in
terest, was not a member of the ALI
ance. What was the result7 The r.
& D. r. r. Company refused to let its
freight 60 over the road to New Berne
and sent everything uia the Z. q G.
to Weldon. In other words it forced
the A. & n. G. r. R., into its comb.
nation of high prices.
Many readers in this section recol-
lect that company was once building
the North Carolina Midland Railroad
from Danville, Va, across to Winston,
intending to continue it to some point
South. The Richmond 81 Danville
"gobbled" it up and stopped the work
and the roadbed lies there today, the
only thing to show for the money the
people of Forsyth paid out of their
pockets.
1t is the policy of the R. & D. R.
r. Co., to build only where they can't
avoid it. They prefer to swallow up
and crush out other roads.
To-day we find Charlotte at its mer-
cy, Statesville, Salisbury and Greens
boro in its power, and Winston, that
ought to be on a main line, left of
at the end ola branch road, complete
ly dependent on the R. & D. R. R.,
sending its freight just h e
rates (high ones too) the r & D. es
tablishes.
The SENTINEL has said what it has
not to abuse the r. & d. r. r. Co.
but to show the people of Piedmon
North Carolina the necessity of build
ing another railroad, having a con
nection with another and a competing
system. The r. & d. r. r. Co. hav
only done what any other compan.
| would have done, it has taken all i
could get-a trait of human nature a
old as Adam, and it is not specially +
be censured. But it is time the pee
pie were waking up, it is time the,
realized that a prosperous section an
growing cities are only to be realize,
where freights are low, and 10,
freights only come with competin
lines.
In Rome there is a statue, repre-
senting LAGOON and his offspring SUI
rounded by huge serpents, which ar
slowly crushing out their lives. Char
lotte and Winston are modern Lac
coons, and the r. & d. is crushin
their bu siness life. Relief must come
and it can only come by determine
and combined effort of the people {
the several cities along the propose
route of, the Roanoke & Southern
Railroad. The editor of the SENT
MEL has talked with several of til
wealthy men of Winston-Salem, an
we believe that if Charlotte, Roanok
City and the intervening towns woul
meet them ON an equal footing, that
construction company, backed by an
ample capital, could be easily forme
to build the road.
| After the road bed is built, it vii
not be difficult to get it ironed an
equipped, SO with little combined ell
fort the people of Piedmont Mort
Carolina can, if they will, soon hay
a line traversing their section, giyin
them an outlet to the north and eas
via the Norfolk & Southern and to tn
south via route to Atlanta yet to
decided upon.
AS business investment, the Ro,
noke & Southern is undoubtedl
most excellent. Look at the countr
it traverses, rich in timber, soil an
ores. Simply to look is to be convint
ed.
| On December Goth, there will be
meeting Of the directors of the r.
S. at Danville, Va. On that day it
| probable that the Bullock Construc
ion Company, who have the survey
hand, will surrender their claims. o
that day thereis an opportunity fc
the citizens of this town and Other
along the line, to meet and secure tn
road. This is one of those tides In til
affairs of cities which taken at il